Shraman Mitra
When some members of the Delta Chi fraternity at Northern Arizona University got into an altercation with Simga Chi members, they had no idea of the bloodbath that was about to follow. The conflict soon spiraled into a tragic shooting incident in which 20-year-old Colin Brough lost his life while his friends, Nicholas Piring, Nicholas Prato, and Kyle Zientek, were critically injured.
ABC’s ’20/20: A Chance Encounter’ recounts the horrific shooting and portrays how law enforcement officials finally brought the perpetrator, Steven “Steve” Jones, to justice. However, if you are intrigued to know where Piring, Prato, and Zientek are at present, we have you covered!
Who Are Nicholas Piring, Nicholas Prato, and Kyle Zientek?
Nicholas Piring, Nicholas Prato, and Kyle Zientek were all 20-year-old juniors at Northern Arizona University and were members of the Delta Chi fraternity. Moreover, Piring, Prato, and Zientek were good friends of Colin, who also belonged to the same fraternity. In fact, the four were often spotted together on the university campus and lived quite close by. Described as fun and lively yet generous by friends and acquaintances, the four looked forward to graduating from university and getting on with their lives.
However, Piring, Prato, and Zientek were left petrified when a sudden and shocking incident claimed their friend’s life. On October 9, 2015, at around 1 am, a few members of the Sigma Chi fraternity got into an altercation with people from Delta Chi. According to the show, the issue originated from a building right outside the Northern Arizona University Flagstaff campus as the Sigma Chi members alleged that they were attacked by people from the opposing fraternity.
Even though onlookers tried their best to calm the situation down, it escalated into a full-blown physical altercation and soon spilled into the actual campus itself. Unfortunately, Piring, Prato, Zientek, and Colin found themselves right in the middle of the fight, as they all belonged to the Delta Chi fraternity. However, before anyone could bring the situation to a peaceful conclusion, gunshots rang out into the night, and Colin immediately slumped to the floor.
Onlookers later mentioned that they also noticed Piring, Prato, and Zientek injured from gunshot wounds while an eighteen-year-old freshman named Steven Jones was holding the gun. Steven appeared quite remorseful of his actions and claimed he shot the gun in self-defense. However, once police officers reached the scene, they declared Colin dead from gunshot wounds. At the same time, Piring, Prato, and Zientek were shifted to a local medical facility, where doctors immediately treated their wounds. Subsequently, Steven Jones was soon arrested and charged with murder.
Nicholas Piring, Nicholas Prato, and Kyle Zientek Have Moved Forward in Life
Nicholas Piring, Nicholas Prato, and Kyle Zientek were lucky to escape with non-life-threatening injuries, although it did take them some time to recover completely. However, even with their injury, they were ready to cooperate with the police investigation and were determined to get Colin justice. All three survivors attended Steven’s murder trial and even testified against the accused alongside several other eyewitnesses. However, in a shocking conclusion, the jury could not reach a decision, and the judge was forced to declare a mistrial.
In the aftermath of the mistrial, Piring, Prato, along with Colin’s parents, Doug and Claudia Brough, filed a lawsuit against Steven and his parents for negligence. However, the show mentioned that the lawsuit was eventually dropped as both parties reached a settlement outside the court. Nevertheless, after multiple delays, Steven pled guilty to a count of manslaughter as well as three counts of aggravated assault, which saw him get sentenced to six years in prison in 2020.
At present, Nicholas Piring seems to have embraced privacy, and although his current whereabouts remain a mystery, the Northern Arizona University alumnus is living a life surrounded by friends. At the same time, Kyle Zientek went on to study at the Universidad de Alicante in Spain but appears to have currently settled in Flagstaff, Arizona. Nick Prato seemingly still resides in Arizona and serves as a Front Office Manager at a popular hotel company. He is happily married to Abbey Prato since 2019 and the two have an adorable son.
Read More: Colin Brough Murder: How Did He Die? Who Killed Him?
